Abdeslam Ouaddou defends Orlando Pirates strategy after Sekhukhune United draw

Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has urged patience and perspective after his side were held to a goalless draw by Sekhukhune United in the Betway Premiership.

Pirates dropped points against Babina Noko on Saturday but remained firmly in the title race, with Ouaddou stressing that consistency and belief in the process will ultimately be decisive in what he described as a demanding league.

“Every point counts in this league and I think we all agree that it’s a tough league and Sekhukhune is a very good team, one of the best teams in the league,” Ouaddou said. 

Pirates dominated large spells of the contest, controlling possession and territory, but once again found converting pressure into goals to be their biggest challenge. In spite of that, Ouaddou felt the overall performance justified confidence rather than concern.

“What we can do is to keep working and believe in what we’re doing because I think my players played a fantastic game,” he said.

“I think now we have to focus more on the final third, the last pass, the assist to definitely score. But I’m not worried about the next games.”

The Pirates coach doubled down on that stance, insisting the broader picture showed a team moving in the right direction.

“I’m not because if you saw the quality of the game and its contents then everyone can see we don’t have any reason to be worried,” he added.

The match also marked the continued reintegration of players returning from international duty, with Pirates featuring five players in their starting XI who were part of Bafana Bafana’s Africa Cup of Nations squad.

Relebohile Mofokeng and Oswin Appollis were introduced from the bench, while Sipho Mbule was not included in the matchday squad at all, underlining the careful approach being taken by the technical team.

Ouaddou explained that managing the physical and mental load of returning internationals was a key consideration as the season resumes at full intensity.

“It’s very important to analyze the amount of minutes that they played with the national team because there are players that played more than the others, so there’s individual plans for them,” he said.

The Moroccan-born coach revealed that those decisions were not uniform, but tailored to each player’s recent workload.

“Some of them we managed to give more rest but some of them we’ve integrated them in our training camp, so it’s very important to place all of that into context,” Ouaddou explained.

With the Betway Premiership entering a decisive phase, Pirates remain focused on fine margins rather than wholesale changes. 

For Ouaddou, sharpening execution in the final third, while maintaining performance levels, is the priority. As the title race tightens, Pirates’ belief is that sustained performances, rather than short-term frustration, will determine their fate.

Next on Pirates agenda is a trip to bottom of the table Magesi FC next Saturday as they look to restore belief by grabbing the first set of three points.